Lofty.....I don´t think that a "child" would ask who the father was, unless there was a good reason. As he got older....say between 30 and 40, then he might. I didn´t want to know who my biological father was until I was well over 50yrs old.
i think it's just another permutation of family life today. at least the child will know it's one of them, unlike some mothers who either don't know or put someone else on the birth certificate. young children don't need complicated answers and would probably accept whatever explanation is given until they're ready to understand the truth.
Sqad. I mean - when a child is about 4 or 5 and goes to school and other kids talk about their dads, then a child with 2 dads will start to get curious as to why he has two and as he gets older he will wonder how on earth he got two Dads. All this before he knows about DNA. So there would be a good reason.
A child with no dad in the household is less likely to get confused. If he/she asks about their Dad and who they are, it is easy for Mum to say 'Dad lives somewhere else' etc. etc.
I don't find it sordid particularly Doc Spoc - just peculiar. It would have been simpler for just one of them to provide sperm.
What will go on the birth Certificate as name of Father?
Can see your point Lottie, re when the child goes to school etc, however, I think we have to bear in mind that this particular child won't be mixing with the riff raff such as you or I (oh ok, just me then) and his background will probably be very acceptable, even 'normal' in the circles he'll be mixing in.
according to some reports, elton is down as the dad.
these days there are so many unorthodox families that i doubt many people would turn a hair over it. and the sort of school baby elton will attend will no doubt have children from all kinds of families so i doubt it will be a problem for him.
So the poor kid has two elderly fathers and one of them is an absolute Queen.
Oh well, it will be a rich kid and get spoilt and will be loved. But who will actually look after it. I really can't see Elton getting up in the night to change a nappy. Will they hire a Nanny who will probably be the one that the child ends up being the closest to.
Lofty, lots of kids have less than nucleated family lives and many do not encounter a man on a continual basis till they meet a male classroom teacher. I'm not saying it's right - it's just the way things are.
This littlun won't get ragged in the playground about squat - he is on target for a life of cossetted bliss.
I suspect that whatever has already happened or happens in the future, it'll be none of my chuffing business.
However they choose to explain things to the child, I'm sure they'll be as sensitive as possible.
Now, the *real* people to take this on-board are the parents of little Zachary's school-friends..........they ought to be the ones *not* filling their childs head with notions that Elton, David and, by extension, Zachary are unnatural.